Warper



Jan. 15, 1963 P. BIJL WARPER Filed Oot. 17, 1960 INVENTOR. PETER BIJL A OR Y United States Patent fitce 3,072,998 Patented Jan. 15, 1963 3,072,998 WARPER Peter Bijl, Ede, Gelderiandl, Netherlands, assignor t American Enka Corporation, Enka, N.C. a corporation of Norh Carolina Fiied Oct. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 63,089 Claims piiority, application Netherlands Gct. 21, 1959 1 Claim. (Cl. 28-32) This invention relates generally to the winding and reeling, art and more particularly to the bearning of warps forrned from a plurality of separate ends of thread or yarn.

In the practice of the present invention, a plurality of pre-beams are formed, each from a smal number of thread ends. Afterwards, the pre-bearns are unwound, and the unwound thread from each prebeam is guided through a reed with vertical reed rods before being rewound onto larger warp bearns. rorn each pre-bearn accordingly pass in mutually separated planes through the reed. Such a system is generally known, and is used to simplify the so-called warping of especially large warp bearns.

If in tact the number of threads to be collected on a warp beam becomes high, then a corresponding i11- crease of the warping creel size is neccssary. The nurnber of thread ends required under present manufacturing conditions has become so high that he creel dimensions are exceedingly large. A large warping creel of course requires a large operating space and, additionally, t means that there are great differences in the paths of travel for the various threads. Th-is in turn results in a great difference in tension between these various threads.

These disadvantages are rernoved by appiying a prebeaming method indicated hereinabove as generally known. With this method, pre-beams having considerably less thread ends are wound from creels with practical dimensie-11s, and thereafter, the pre-bearns are together rewound into a warp beam. This known systern, however, also has disadvantages.

Thread entanglement easily 0CCurs with this system, however, since the threads are passed in a plurality of planes through the horizontally-mounted reed, normally a separate plane for each pre-bearn. Such entanglernent gives rise to ruptures of threads 01 Of filarnents. if the ruptures occur before the thread reaches the reed, as practically always appears to be the case, the ruptured thread or filaments may be attached to and taken along by other threads, and may be passed th rough an adjacent reed opening onto the warp beam. As a result, warp beams are obtained with incorrect numbers of threads and/or with threads having variations in denier.

It should be noted that this entanglernent also occurs when warping a single web of threads through a reed, although not to such a high degree as when warping from a plurality of pre-bearns each of whch presents an independent web of threads. The possibility of entanglement in this instance remains restricted te one direction only in contrast to what occnrs in the pre-beaming systern.

Solutions have been proposed for obviating the prebearning thread entanglenrent problem herein under considerati0n. It has already been propo-sed, for exarnple, that a rake-shaped member with extremely flexible teeth be moved over the thread web in a direction perpendicu lar to the direction of thread travel and parallel to the web, the rake-shaped mernber being mounted parallel to the reed. In this system, the threads are plucked by the flexible teeth in the manner of strings en a stringed musical instrument, which results in such a vibrating 'Ihe threads originating transverse movement of the threads that they remain iree ro-m each other.

A similar result has previously been obtained by the use of a rake-shaped member of which the teeth are not necessarily flexible, but have such a short and gradually receding profile that the thread may also be plucked. All these and similar solutions cannot be applied when guiding a multiplex web of threads through a reed as in the case of the aforesaid pre-beaming operation, since it is not possible to pluck all the threads in the various planes within which they are arranged.

It is an object of this invention to provide a warping system not having the many disadvantages of heretoforeknown beaming operations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thread winding apparatus capable of handling a plurality of webs of thread fed from a plurality of prebearns without thread entanglernent.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a warping process which can be practiced on varous beaming or winding machines without the heretofore-resulting entanglement of thread.

The foregoing objects may be accomplished, in acco-rdance with this invention, if a periodically recurring tapping or sharp vibrating movement in a lateral direct-ion is imparted to the webs of thread at a point adjacent to and preferably beyond the guide reel from the pre-beams.

Although the velocity of this tapping movement is not necessarly criticai, it has been found that too 1rapid a movement requires a very extensive operating apparatus. With too slow a movement, however, there is a risk that the web or webs of threads become imrn0bile in between periodic tapping movements to such an extent that thread entanglements again resu1t. None of these disadvantages occur if, according to the present invention, the tappng movement is carried out with a frequency of 1 to 5, and preferably 2 to 3, taps per second.

Moreover, although the tapping of the web of threads may always be done in one direction only, for example, vertically, it is also conceivable to tap the threads in separate planes independent of each ether. A simple, but very eiective, method appears to consist in a tapping movement efiected alternately downwardly and upwardly and in such a manner that d11ring each rnove ment the threads are first pressed together in one plane and then are moved together in a transverse direction. In canrying out the method in this manner, only one tapping member is required for the downward movement and only one for the upward movement.

It is surprising that, although all threads are compressed into one plane, there does not occur thread entanglement. As a matter of fact, this undesirable result is efiectively prevented. It would normally be expected that forced pressing together of the threads would entail a higher probability that said threads would be wrapped around each other, and intermingled, and thus stuck together in an inextricable manner. It also seems normal to assurne that it does not make any diierence if the tapping movement is carried out before or after passage of the threads through the reed. Although it is true that in both cases a distinct decrease in the number of thread ruptures is noticeable, according to the invention t has nevertheless been found that the best results are obtained if the tapping movement is carried out at the side of the reed facing the warp beam, or after the webs pass through the reed.

In addition to the methods described hereinabove, the invention also relates to an apparatus for winding warp beams from pre-beams. 'Ihe apparatus is comprised of a combined holder/driving device for a Warp beam, a

frame fr parallel mounting of the pre-beams, as well as a reed hav1ng Vertical reed rods between the warp bearn bolder and the frame. A srnple construction 101 enabnng periodic tapping rnovement 011 the running mass of threads in this app-aratus consists in a system of horizontal rods provide-d near the reed, in which system the rods are arranged verteally above each other and which rods are coupled to an actuating mechanisrn or giving the system a periodic vertical movement.

The aforesaid actuating mechanism may consist of rrods each of which is separately coupled to he actuaing mechansm and in which there is one rod for each separate plane of threads. Moreover, the periodic verticalmovement of the rods may be chosen very difierently, varying from a high frequency vibration with a very short stroke to a slow up-and-down movement with a large stroke. It has been found, nowever, that a very satisfactory result is obtained with an exceptionally sirnple apparatus f the system c0mprises two horizontal rods forming opposite sides of a rectangular frame having the Same width as the reed and in which the distance between rods is of the same magnitude as the length of the reed rods, and in which the vertical stroke of the actuating mechanism is also of the same magriitude as the reed rod 'length. The rectangular frame may be rnoved up and down in its entirety by the actuatng mechansm at a rather quiet rate of 1 te and preferably 2 to 3 strokes per second.

Finally, advantages have been found to result. in warp beams wound according to any one of the abovedescribed systems. These warp beams not only appear to have less faults, but are on the wh0le more uniforrnly wound. This is particularly noticeable when unwinding said warp beams, the rllnning-off threads showing less mutual dierenoes in running-off tension, which directly contributes to a more uniform fabric upon weaving. It should be noted in ths respect chat diferences in tension between threads running from a warp beam are very easly recognized in the form of pulling threads glossy threads, and other forms of warp strealriness.

Other objects and advantages of [l1S nvention will become app-arent upon study of the following detailed disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein FGURE 1 is a longitudinal view in elevato-n of a bearning apparatus constructed according to this invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a detailed front elevational view of the tappng rod system and the actuating mechanism therefor.

In FIGURE 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a warp bearn which may be supported and rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow by any co-nventional means, not shown. Upon rotation of bearn 1, the mat 2 of threads is wound thereo-n over the enticre width thereof. Mat 2 is forrned out of several webs 3 of thread running in substantially horizontal planes.

Each of said thread webs 3 is unwound from one of an equal number of pre-beams 4. Instead of the six pre-beams 4 shown for the sake of simplicity, a ditlerent number may be mounted in a corresponding manner in two planes without the necessity of changing anything essential in the apparatus disclosed. From each prebeam 4, there runs a thread Web 3 which is guidecl over a freely-rotatable roller 5.

In order to have the threads run. in a tensioned condition, the pre-beams are sornewhatbraked by means of rope brakes 6 known in this art. Said brakes. 6 comprise rope laid' over a side flange of the pre-beam and held tight by means of a weight. T0 sirnplify the drawings, only a single rope brake 6 is shown on the pre-beam 4 appearing at the extreme upper right.

The thread webs 3 running in spaced and Somewhat parallel planes are kept separate frorn each other by means of horizontal dividing rods 7. The dividing rods 7 are loosely laid in a rack 8 provided with seeuring hooks, as is known. The threads run from said rods 7 through the openings of a reed 9 plaeed in a horizontal position and transverse to the plane of the drawing. Saicl reed contains at least as many vertical reed openings as the number of threads on each of the pre-beams 4.

Atter passing the reed 9, the threads run between the ho-rzontal rods of the tapping system 16 and to the triplet formed by the idler r0llers Til, 12, and 13. The tapping system aan he moved in a verticai sense up anddown according to the arrow indication in FG'URE 1. All of the rollers 11, 12, and 13 are driven by the threads, and rollers 11 and 12 rotate about a fixed axs, whereas the roller 13 is a jockey or dancer roller and, therefore, can move upand down. The jockey roller 13 is supported in its movement by spring 1". Due to the possibility of small vertical movernent in said roller 13, the fluctuations in tenson in the threacl mat are restricted to a minimum.

The tapping system 10 is specifically shown in FG- URE 2 by a front view on an enlarged soale. This system consists in two horizontal rods 5 and 16, formed frorn anodized aluminum and combined into one body by means of the U-shaped rod 17. Guiding rods 18 and 19, which are conneeted to said rod '7, permit con trolled vertical movement in stationary guides 20 and 21.

The drive f0r tapping system 10 is produced by the eccentric cam mechanism 22 of a known form. Said mechanisrn 22 is coupled to the rod 17 by means of the hnge 23 and the entire system may be reciprocated merely by providing rotation to the eccentric with any suitable drive means.

The vertical stroke of the tapping system should be suficiently long that the rods 15 and 16 Wll first completely compress the thread mat and then 1nay move the same in a compressed condition up and down as a unit. The distance between the rods 15 and 16 should slightly exceed the normal distance between the upper and the lower threads of the webs 3. The rate at which the tapping system vibrates in the embodiment illustrated amounts to 3 strokes per second.

It has been found that the number of thread ruptures and faults on the warp beams dirninished consderably after putting into use the herein-described apparatus provided with a tapping system. It was found that the warp beams thus wound were judged very favorably by the users also with respect to the running-o and processing properties.

As already explained above, it is preferred, in a:- cordance with this invention, to rnount the system of horizontal rods at the side of the reed facing the warp beam holder. Although the horizontal rods may be manufactured from varous materials such as stainless steel or a cerarnic material, the minimum tension shocks and tension variatons in the running threads are O-btained when the rods are. manufactured firorn anodized aluminum.

The periodic drive for the rod system may also be carried out in varous manners. Possible embodiments comprise an electromagnet which is periodically energized, 01 a hyd=raulie or pneumatic piston system of known constructions. An especially simple and nevertheless eficient drive has, however, been found to be an aotuatng mechanism eornprising an eccentric or carn which is coupled to a continuously driven shaft.

Inasmuch as other alternatives and modifieations within the scope of this disclosure will becorne apparent to those skilled in this art, it is intended that the present nvention be limited only to the extent set forth in the following claim.

What is claimed is:

In an apparatus for winding a plurality of thread webs into a single package comprising a warp beam, a plurality of prebeams for supplying thread webs to said warp beams, and means 01 combining the webs into a single warp whle maintaining the ndvdual ends sep 2,652,203 Cone Sept. 15, 1953 arated, the combination of means for v'oratng all of the 2,742,773 Chambers et al. Apr. 24, 1956 thread ends prior to collecton on sad warp beam and 2889802 Lessig et al. June 9, 1959 means for restricting fluctuations in tenson in the threads du ring their passage between sad vibratng means and 5 FOREIGN PATENTS Sa1d P beam 6,526 Great Brtain of 1887 References Cite in the file of ths patent 17352 Great Bman of 1996 5,518 Great Brtain of 1909 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,426,553 Hagler Aug. 26, 1947 10 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3072998 January 15 1963 Peter Bijl It is hereby certiied that er1or appears in the above numbered patent requirng correction and that the said Letters Patent should raad as corrected below.

In the grant line 3 and in the heading to the prnted specification, lines 4 and 5- for "a corporation of North Carolinafi each occurrence read a corporation of Delaware Signed and sealed this 23rd day of Ju1ly 1963 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADI) Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

